Entrepreneurship and Wounded Warriors

In the current economy where unemployment rates are already elevated for people in their twenties, the rate for Veterans sits at approximately 5% higher than the population as a whole. At the same time the SBA reports that veterans are more likely to start a business than the general population. Some reasons for this include the discipline and risk-taking they might have experienced in the field- when you’ve risked your life, taking a risk to start a business is put into an easier perspective. When you’ve been trained to get back up and keep going in the field, and to work precisely and closely with others, well, those are extremely useful entrepreneurial traits.

Because of the internet, the options for creating business and services create opportunities exist that weren’t imagined by veterans of previous eras. Even severely impacted people who might have needed in the past to be supported to live, are now often likely to need support to start something.

A welter of loans and grant programs for people with disabilities can be researched through the SBA and the Defense Department. But first it helps to know what one is doing and have a sense of the desired destination.

The Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities is a primary resource, supported by at least eight business schools at such institutions as UCLA, Syracuse University, Texas A&M, Florida State, Purdue, UConn and LSU.

The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their service to our country.

In the current era, technical sophistication counts for a lot in starting and maintaining a business. If a veteran doesn’t yet have the basic knowledge, hardware and software to take advantage of virtual resources, here is an essential head start:

WWPTS is a partnership developed over a four year period with Dell, Microsoft, Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Through the maturity of this program we are able to provided Hardware Capital (Dell Laptop-with MS Office 2007 and Windows 7), Knowledge Capital (Four Days of MS Office 2007 classes from certified Microsoft Instructions) and Social Capital (Active broadband-Verizon).These are critical tools for our Soldiers to continue their training and education stay connected with family, social and professional networks/organizations.

The economic impact of each succeeding wave veterans starting new businesses has remade the American economy since World War II. The veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are poised to create even more fundamental growth with the unprecedented tools and support at their disposal.

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“We couldn’t have imagined that the online launch of the Funding Roadmap TM would coincide with the most profound economic crisis of our lifetime, but here we are, and as a world full of investors and lenders look to reboot, we’re here to provide an innovative, networked business planning and due diligence reporting system for funding professionals and entrepreneurs alike. It also includes a video pitching platform, a document repository and deal flow marketplace so entrepreneurs will have an online medium to brilliantly communicate all the essential data – along with their personal passion and commitment.”

Ruth. E. Hedges is the creator and CEO of Fundingroadmap.com. and Startups Across America. She has been featured in the New York Times, on ABC’s Home Show, and the Financial News Network did a two-part series on her for their show entitled ‘American Entrepreneur’.

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America's SBDC is the association that represents America's nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs).
For no-cost business consulting and low-cost business training, contact your local SBDC.